Coming Home
by Novdre
Summary: Miraculous Ladybug x Pacific Rim AU. What do you do when you have no where to go and everyone's gone? A story about coming home- Alya, Adrian, Nino, Marinette.
1. Departure

_Summary_ : Miraculous Ladybug x Pacific Rim AU. What do you do when you have no where to go and everyone's gone? A story about coming home- Alya, Adrien, Nino, Marinette.

Miraculous Ladybug x Pacific Rim AU

A/N: I do not own any characters from Miraculous Ladybug nor Pacific Rim. There are inconsistencies with the Pacific Rim timeline and probably unlikely made-up scenarios but please bear with me!

* * *

Coming Home 

It was a last minute call- which worried Alya; but as they landed in the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, the thought disappeared as the scent and the slightly familiar background welcomed her back home.

"Wow, a lot of things changed while we were gone" Nino huffed quietly, his smile contradicting his actions as he glanced around the familiar airport.

"Yeah, but some things didn't" Adrien's voice piped up, his luggage making small clicking noises as he walked to his friends. He gave a wry smile to his best friend who grinned. Alya sighed softly as she fixed her uniform, trying to ignore the looks they were all getting from the bystanders as they made their way to the arrival hall.

Probably half of the looks they were getting were due to the fact that she was hanging around with a boy like Adrien- who could probably pass off as a model with his looks. They were 22 now, as their physical appearance matured- Adrien growing almost a head taller than her own 5'6 frame, and Nino also stopping at a 6'2 height. His facial features were more defined and drool-worthy. Nino also grown to be quite handsome- although Alya would protest to that if you asked her. In the mirror, Alya didn't look much different than her 15-year-old self- although she did slim down and gained muscle- due to her profession, but hell- all of them did.

The other half of the looks they were getting was most likely due to their uniforms. The crest she hated stitched over her left breast like a brand- identical to Adrien's and Nino's as well spoke volumes of the single fact that tore her childhood away.

They were a part of the Jaeger Project.

* * *

The nightmare all started in her 2rd year of high school- the first Kaiju appearing in San Francisco, Alya could remember it with vivid clarity. She was in school, talking about the upcoming break when the news broke in. It was terrifying- her classmates screaming in fear as they learned that Chloe's father; the mayor was in San Francisco for a meeting- was caught up in the attack and was missing. Chloe- with all her self-righteous attitude froze in shock, as it was the first time Alya witnessed her break down in front of others- it had downright terrified her.

She remembered locking eyes with Nino, Adrien and her, but she had reassured Alya that everything will be all right.

It didn't. If anything, the situation worsened. News of the attacks were the only thing the radio station were talking about- it was a plague as they could remember the faces of their horror- struck classmates. It was even worse for Chloe- she stopped caring about her physical appearance, arriving to school with eye-bags and disheveled hair. It took a toll on Adrien- seeing his first friend withering away like that.

It scared everyone- even the victims of Chloe's bullying tactics when she finally broke down one day in class- collapsing and just never getting back up again.

They were in their fourth year of high school, preparing for their exams when Alya's life changed completely. She remembered her teacher Ms. Bustier walking in solemnly and quietly asked everyone to line up and get into the school bus waiting outside. Her classmates that refused to were knocked out by men wearing a dark blue/black uniform and consequently placed in the bus.

It'll be alright… She remembered her words as they all piled in. They were in the bus for 30 minutes, before they arrived at a facility- no one recognized it. This is the abandoned psychiatric facility that closed in 1997. She remembered Max stating- sprouting useful information (for once); it didn't calm anyone down really.

Each of them were placed in a white- disgustingly pure white room, a man sitting; as if waiting for them with a clipboard. She remembered the neutral monotone look on his face as he proceeded to ask her various questions about her life, personality, outlook, analytical questions, and other questions for the next 3 hours.

Alya remembered not being able to get out of the room for the entire 3 hours, terrified; but her rational mind telling her to calm down and get through this. At the end, he had smiled ( _she hated the smile- it was gentle but had an ominous feeling behind it that would plague her nightmares for the oncoming years_ )

"Alya, it seems that you are a very intelligent young woman. ( _I'm only 17_ she had retorted in her mind) You have a sharp mind and a rational intellectual brain. You are also more than capable compared to others and you exceed all areas" he had stated happily. The Pan Pacific Defense Corps would be more than happy to accept you into our program" he ended off, a dread feeling pooling at the bottom of her stomach.

She realized she never had a choice once she stepped into the building- the mere fact that it was already decided for her promptly made her vomited.

* * *

Everything happened within months- no, weeks. After more series of tests that just left her exhausted, she was whisked away to the shatterdome located in Russia, only a bag filled with essential items was allowed with her, as she, Nino, and Adrien were whisked away.

Weeks went by- with the harsh tedious Jaegar program breaking her entire being- Alya wasn't allowed the time to weep for her lost childhood as every bone and muscle in her body was tested under harsh conditions just to last for what was coming nect. What made it worse was that she felt isolated.

Nino, with his strangely charming disposition and sly jokes managed to be the fun-guy /party-guy in the group, however he hadn't made it through the final testing stage-; as he failed to become a Jaeger Pilot- however the PPCD didn't waste his talents as he was promptly moved to the LOOCENT Mission Control, therefore losing one of her talking-buddies.

Adrien, as obvious as it can get- was the center of attention upon their arrival to Russia. With his beautiful handsome features and kind nature- it wasn't a surprise that almost all the single ladies (and perhaps some ladies who were already taken) showed an interest. However, no matter who it was- he had rejected them all, excusing himself by declaring that he had a loved one already ( _If Alya knew anything, she hadn't commented_ )

It didn't help her as she was regarded as the weird chubby outcast that was friends with those two just because she knew them for a couple years. Her confidence waning as she wasn't able to find a partner- as her movements were rigid and awkward during the testing stage. Her movements were too slow as she often bear the brunt of the hits as she lost each round consecutively.

So, when she found out that the only person in the group of 30 plus so kids that was compatible and kept up to her was Adrien, to be shocked was a _huge_ understatement.

He was the exact opposite of her- no matter who he had faced, with his athletic ability and flexibility; he defeated his opponents with moderate ease. However- when she was finally paired up with him during the testing phase- he couldn't find a way to beat her easily like his other opponents. Alya was beyond surprised as she kept up with his movements, even though her hits and dodges were not as graceful and slick like his, she managed to dodge and block every blow at her ( _it felt like she just knew where the next hit will be at_ ), and likewise for him.

"It's because you've guys known each other so you guys can match each other" she heard girls grumble angrily as she was officially paired up with Adrien as they were deemed 'drift compatible'.

She was relieved, yet why did her heart sink at that?

* * *

The first time they had synced with each other was during a trial run- she could remember the frigid feeling of an electricity like current zapping through her brain, as she was frozen with unknown memories flooding into her. She wanted to cringe away but she couldn't as she was forced to live out the memories of her friend- all the feelings of loneliness and isolation he felt during his childhood imprinted on her mind.

She also hated the fact that he had access to her memories- as her own resurfaced- glimpses of the image of her father's back slowly walking away, her mother's cries and screams- the sharp contrast with images of broken furniture around.

That was the first time she cried in front of him. She shed tears for both her friend and herself; for two broken teenagers that had faced more than what a normal kid should have to bear.

Adrien just smiled softly, and thanked her for crying for him, his eyes slightly misty as well. His kindness and ability to thank someone after involuntarily giving up his sealed memories away and glimpsing into her own broken childhood was enough to make Alya cry even harder.

In all honesty- if Adrien weren't so much like a brother to her, she would've fell in love with him, just like Marinette.

Just the name of her best friend made Alya want to cry and break down- as she resorted to not think about her blue haired friend. Marinette had passed the initial testing ( _in that frightening disgusting white, white room_ ) but shockingly failed the next series of tests.

 _You're too irrational Ms. Dupain-Cheng. You will be a distraction, an interference with the others! You tend to put yourself and others in danger and you do not make rational decisions_! They had screamed at her- everyone witnessing the event. It didn't make any sense?! Marinette was the most logical person and even if her methods were irrational at times- she was probably the smartest and athletic person (even if poor, clumsy Marinette made small mistakes- there wasn't a doubt that this girl was indeed athletic at times, and with intelligence that rivaled Adrien- minus the incoherent stuttering at times) Alya could guarantee that somehow her parents got her out of the program- and it confounded her. How could she have connections to get out?

She was released the following day- sent back to her home, and away from the front-line danger.

Alya was upset- why was Marinette the lucky one and was allowed to leave? Hiding behind the front-lines and where it was safe while she had to fight when she wasn't athletic? Why couldn't _Marinette_ take her place and fight-

Alya quickly buried the thoughts into the dark corners of her mind ( _you can never rid of your evil thoughts, they are always there- just hiding_ ) as she banished them- horrified at herself for thinking that about her best friend nevertheless.

If Adrien was aware of her nasty thoughts- _of course he will, he's in your mind-_ he hadn't shown any indication of knowing- and she was grateful for that as she wouldn't be able to bear it if he outright told her that she was disgusting.

48 hours later, a Kaiju Category I appeared and Alya was forced to remove any lingering thoughts of distractions away as she had a life-or-death battle to face. Pale face, sweaty hands, and age too young they were to be doing this- they both dove into first battle that was the beginning of what was more was about to come.

* * *

That was almost 4 years ago, and now- 22, things have changed- whether it was for good or not. During those years in Russia, Alya could've reminiscence about her ideal childhood, playing out to how her future would've gone. Perhaps a journalist or even a news reporter, married with 2 kids even- but playing the 'what if' game in the middle of the night was far too dangerous. Especially for someone like her.

She resorted to training her muscles and keeping her mind busy- up to her breaking point.

Obviously Adrien kept in check whether his partner was at the brink of exhaustion; making sure she didn't overdo it- however it didn't help Alya's situation; until one day during their training session, he was too slow to dodge in one of the blows- bearing the brunt of the hit to his left arm as she immediately froze. He had never failed to dodge such an easy attack before, so she knew something was wrong- she really squinted hard, observing him and finally noticing his deteriorating features- how the bags were darkening under his eyes, how his face was too pale, and figure too slender for an 18-year old. That was one of the rare times she was scared for her friend's life, outside of their battles- as if he could've been crushed easily with one hit.

After that- both of them made sure the other and even themselves stayed healthy, no matter what, even if it meant sleeping in the same quarters to make sure the other wouldn't stay up dreaming and playing the 'what-if' game.

Alya would've snickered at the sight of Marinette's face if she learned that her best friend was sleeping in the same room as her crush- but she shook her head. She had to keep her past out of her thoughts.

"Yo, are you listening?" Nino's hand waved in front of her as Alya blinked- out of her thoughts as she realized they were already on board the bus that took them to the shatterdome located in the heart of Paris. With a grimace, she remembered the reason of their transfer.

It was too sudden. The new shatterdome was just recently built and needed more manpower- as the three of them were re-located- thank god Nino is still with us she thought-. Even Adrien; who was the more composed of the three looked a bit on edge at the sudden transfer- but relieved that his best friend was able to transfer with him.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I was hungry" Alya lied, glancing away from Adrien; knowing that he had an eyebrow raised. With the amount of times they had drifted together- they knew each other like the back of their hand.

"Hmm, we can go get some bread at a bakery first? We aren't supposed to make pit-stops and we are supposed to arrive at the shatterdome…." He trailed off- his voice cracking and dying off as he realized what he said. Tension filled the air as Alya refused to acknowledge his words.

Adrien cleared his throat. "We'll just find something at the shatterdome to eat" he said quietly with a small wry smile as they sat in silence for the rest of the ride.

* * *

How Marinette was doing; no one knew. They lost all contact with her- _no, you just didn't want to see her or hear from her after her 'betrayal'_ \- Alya kicked that thought out of her head, and into the growing pile of dusty dark thoughts that she knew would never disappear. They only knew one fact; she was doing fine in Paris and her family is working together in a franchise in order to provide the wheat produce to the PPDC, and that was it- _that was probably where she got her connections_ \- Alya kicked herself harshly, ignoring the pain and the look of utter surprise on her friend's faces as they got off the bus, wheeling their luggage behind and entering the new shatterdome.

"Well then…. We're here" Nino coughed- choosing to ignore the sudden self-inflicted pain from his friend, as they looked around, gaping at the huge shatterdome. It wasn't as large as the other existing ones (since Paris isn't as large as the others) but it was sufficiently large enough to encompass around 5-8 Jaegars- not that there were as many pilots for these Jaegars….

"This is quite…"

"Magnificent?" Alya completed the blond's thoughts who merely nodded slightly as they slowly made their way- albeit lost.

"Ah, you three must be the transfers am I correct?" Alya froze in her spot, Adrien and Nino whipping around quickly as they recognized the voice. Alya recognized it as well- _of course she did. She was the target of her dark thoughts_ \- as she slowly turned around, the grip on the handle of the luggage dropping, clattering onto the floor as they stared wide-eye back to an equally wide-eyes dark haired faired lady.

"…Marinette?" Adrien voiced out- his voice almost a whisper as the lady in front of them, nearly dropped her clipboard as he arms lowered in shock; revealing the dark navy-grey uniform, the PPDC logo encrusted on her uniform.

"A-Adrien? Nino?…Al…ya?" she gasped quietly. This girl standing in front of them was and was not Marinette at the same time. She was Marinette in terms of Marinette Dupain-Cheng with the same exact dna as the Marinette 4 years ago, but she wasn't Marinette in terms of physical appearance. Her past pony-tailed hair was gone, leaving straight dark blue-black hair that ended to her shoulder blades. Her bangs were still swept to the familiar left side, and her baby blue eyes still bright blue like the free sky.

Before Alya knew it, a weight had suddenly crashed into her, almost bowling her down as she quickly regained her balance, dark hair blowing at her face suddenly as Marinette launched herself at her. Alya stiffened, unfamiliar with physical warmth after 4 years of no- or little to none physical contact other than a shake of hand or a reassuring pat on the shoulder by her other two friends. But as sudden as the physical contact was there- it was gone as Marinette pulled back quickly, her features that were shock-ridden quickly contouring into a mask with a smile plastered on.

"Pardon me Alya, Nino… Adrien. It's nice to see you all again" she had simply stated, she glanced at the boys before turning back to her as Alya stared at her friend.

It was alarming- how her emotions were quickly repressed as she had a blank slate on her face- with the exception of a smile _she shivered- recognizing the smile; just like the man 4 years ago in that white disinfectant smelling room._

Alya… she locked eyes with Adrien and Nino who seemed to understood her dilemma, as they were watching their old friend like a hawk- noticing all the changes.

Oh sweet, clumsy Marinette. What had happened to you?

* * *

How is it? First time writing a short story, I was really interested in the idea of having a Pacific Rim AU, and tried to fit it with Miraculous Ladybug. Hopefully I can upload the next part soon

You can find a doodle of them on my profile!


	2. Disquiet

"The dormitories are located in the east wing; down the hall. The cafeteria is located in the south wing and the hours are from 6 to 9 every day…" Alya tuned out her friend slightly- still following her every movement, as she was leading them down the hall- her eyes never straying from her clipboard or from in front of her. _Why won't you look at us?_ Alya knew that Adrien and Nino were having the same thoughts as her- but didn't know how to approach this.

"This shatterdome isn't as large as the ones in Hong Kong for example; but this was created for emergencies. If you keep walking down the corridor, the LOCCENT mission control is located there." Marinette had informed, her voice slightly quieter, leaving the sound of their luggage clicking behind them obnoxiously to fill in the silence.

"Marinette" Adrien called out after a second, Alya turning to her partner with furrowed brows.

"Yes Adrien? Do you have a question?" Marinette smiled, startling the boy slightly as it was a while since he had talked to the girl- and the last time he had said something to her; she was still in a stuttering and blushing mess.

"Uh…are you…okay?" Alya could've slapped him for the terrible timing. Shouldn't they ask in a private room and _not_ in the middle of a corridor where they were once again, attracting attention. Alya truly wondered just how did this boy manage to snag the top marks in the Jaegar Academy when he was this _oblivious._

"I am perfectly fine thank you for asking. You three must be tired though; you may rest now, but please gather in the conference room at 1800 sharp and you will meet your supervisor there" she had simply replied- her tone a bit rushed. "Well that is all… if you have any questions, please feel free to find me. I'm usually at the Mission Control room…" A long pause followed after, as they didn't know whether to speak up or not. "It is…" she spoke after seemingly contemplating slightly, a small genuine smile on her face "…really great to see you guys again" she ended. With a bow and a twist on her heel; she made her way down the corridor and away from her 3 friends who were left staring at her retreating figure.

"What was that?" Nino was the one who spoke up first- utterly flabbergasted. "Was that even Marinette? She didn't say anything to you other than about this shatterdome Alya!" he turned to the girl who was staring at the spot where her friend was just standing.

"I know- I was here the entire time" Alya couldn't help but snap back at him; startling the poor boy. Nino turned to his friend who simply shook his head slightly at him in warning.

"Let's head to the dormitories first" he said quietly, but also perturbed by the events that had just happened.

"What happened to her?" Alya whispered as Adrien gently pushed her so she would start walking.

"She didn't seem comfortable talking in public. If we want to know what happened in these 4 years, we would need to find her and take her to a quieter place" Adrien suggested, Nino nodding in agreement.

"Let's just find her now" Alya made a move to turn around, but was stopped by Adrien's hand that had grasped her wrist.

"And what? Just directly ask her what happened? Do you even know what you want to ask?" Adrien raised a brow. Alya frowned deeply- she hated it when he was right _\- you just hate being corrected._

"Yeah- she's my friend Adrien. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I just asked her" she replied.

"Really? From what I saw, she was uncomfortable just standing in front of us while we were silently judging her" he softly stated.

"She's _my_ best friend Adrien, she would understand-" her voice died off as she stared at him.

"I know… you have more of a right than _us_ to confront her- but Alya; she really seemed conflicted. I just…" he sighed, dropping his hand. "I don't want to scare her away," he quietly muttered, Nino patting his shoulder slightly. Out of all people, Alya probably _knew_ Adrien the best and she knew that she wasn't the only one immensely worried for their friend. With a defeated sigh, Alya glanced to the floor, and to her surroundings.

"Let's go" she relented, Adrien nodding as the three made their way down the corridor.

"Are we still living in the same room?" Nino asked- likewise in Russia, he had also bunked with Adrien and Alya- albeit nervous about sleeping in such close quarters with the latter- but she had cared less. Of course there were boundaries still as the boys weren't allowed within a few feet of her bed and workspace; but other than that- the three were pretty good roommates ( _other than the occasional arguments about Nino leaving his dirty socks everywhere and stinking up the place_ )

"Apparently we are?" Adrien replied, an eyebrow raised, as he flipped through the papers in his hand, handed by Marinette that told them about their schedules specifically.

"That's a surprise? I didn't think they would let us bunk together" Alya thought aloud, _did Marinette do this? But why?_

"Perhaps they are aware of our sleeping arrangements in Russia and in order to make us feel more comfortable; they left it the same" Adrien suggested.

"That, or they don't have enough space" Nino piped up.

"Although this shatterdome is quite significantly smaller than the one in Russia, it's still pretty big. I'm pretty sure that's not a probable reason" Alya rolled her eyes at him who shrugged.

"It's a possibility" he had simply replied.

"A pretty bad possibility. Honestly, I'm still wondering how you became one of the best technicians and LOCCENT mission control guys" Alya shook her head as Adrien simply laughed.

"Woah, that's awesome!" a new voice popped up; scaring the three as Alya and Adrien whipped around, arms up in defense as their fight-reflex took over subconsciously. "Woah- calm down, it's just me" the sight of the familiar red hair and teal eyes, the three gaped.

"N-Nathanaël?" Alya stuttered, barely recognizing him.

"Hey guys! It's great to see you again!" he grinned, his shy and timid personality gone, as he seemed more comfortable.

"Hey, how's it going?" Nino was the first to recover giving him a pat on the back as the boys bumped shoulders.

"Not bad! Oh careful, I'm slightly covered in grease. Don't want to ruin your own clothes" he stepped back cautiously. He was wearing a blue overall denim suit, the PPCD logo stitched on his left shoulder. He had his hair tied back in a small ponytail, revealing his teal eyes more.

"I didn't know you were still here- and working with the PPCD" Adrien blinked in surprise, but shook his hand nevertheless.

"Yeah- decided to stay in Paris, been here my whole life- not that I'm complaining" he shrugged lightly. "Since I was here anyways, I was recruited to be the Jaegar technician" he explained.

"Oh wow, so you're putting your designing abilities into good use" Nino raised a brow as he nodded.

"It's not like I'm the head designer for the Jaegar's but I do get a say as to where parts should go and how more efficient the Jaegars could be if they changed things up in the designs" Nathanaël smirked lightly, albeit proud.

"I wouldn't have thought you were going to work here though" Alya commented as he turned to her.

"Yeah- well none of us thought you three would leave for Russia right after grad either" he gave a wry smile. "Unfortunately not all of us are talented in that Jaegar area, but there are jobs that suit us" he shrugged. It wasn't meant to be a jab at them, but Alya could feel the hurt. "Not that being a Jaegar pilot isn't bad!" he quickly added seeing her features contorting slightly.

"Speaking of how some jobs suit you, is there a reason why Marinette is here?" Nino quickly asked, taking the opportunity to mention the one person the three were indefinitely curious (and worried) about.

"Mari?" (Adrien and Alya refused to ask about his nickname for the girl, the latter curious but hesitant to ask, _but definitely, definitely interested_ while the former just _refusing_ to think about their relationship)

"…Oh, yeah- after coming back to Paris, she helped out with her parent's and their growing franchise; but I'm not even sure how she was recruited here. Before we knew it; she was promoted to being a Strike Trooper" he gave a slight laugh as Adrien and Alya paled. Strike Troopers were one of the most dangerous jobs within the PPCD. Their main job was to support the Jaegars but evacuating civilians and sometimes laying down ground fire when dealing with the Kaiju. "She could even pilot a V-50 Jumphawk which is rare!" he grinned as if this was an exceptional skill _why would you get involved in this Marinette? We are the ones fighting for you so you didn't need to_

"Is she okay?" Alya asked.

"Hmm, she changed since the Kaiju's appearance- but if I had to say, she's doing quite well" he smiled widely. "But all of us changed. We had to if we wanted to stay alive" he added more grimly.

 _Beep, beep!_ "Oh, that's my signal, gotta go. It's really cool to see all of you guys again! We can have lunch together like the old days. I'll call the others too!" he waved as he jogged backwards before turning and jogging away at an alarmingly fast pace.

"Others?" Nino repeated, choosing to focus on something else other than the fact that probably everyone they knew was different by now.

"Well I guess now we know what our old classmates were doing after high school" Adrien commented ironically as the three did wonder about them at times during their stay in Russia.

Alya shook her head. If anything, it wasn't as reassuring as what she would've wanted.

* * *

"At least our room is larger" Nino grinned, hands on his hip as Alya sat down on her own bed on the far corner, while the boys shared a bunk bed.

"Well since they were aware of our sleeping accommodations, perhaps they gave us one of the larger rooms" Adrien stretched, cracking his bones, and relieving the tension in his shoulders. They had arrived to their dormitory and Alya took the chance to freshen up while the boys unpacked and now they were just chilling on the lower bunk which Adrien had taken

"Want to get something to eat before arriving at the mission control? We have around 40 minutes." Nino suggested as they nodded.

"I wonder who our supervisor is" Adrien hummed as they left their room and began walking down the corridor and towards the cafeteria. Adrien had taken the time to go over the base map of the shatterdome and Alya wouldn't be surprised if he memorized where everything was now- hell, give him a few more hours and he'll be able to find shortcuts and get to places faster than a cadet that probably was here weeks before they had arrived.

"Whoever it is, they couldn't be as bad as Marshal Floyd Alexandrov" Alya sarcastically replied as Nino shuddered at the name. Marshal Floyd Alexandrov was one of the most _eccentric_ and strict supervisors they had. His tendency to collect Kaiju's body parts for the sole reason as to _feel_ them up was creepy enough- but he was also strict, often handing out punishments when he determines your efforts weren't up to standards.

"Yeah, he was a bit _different_ " Adrien smiled.

"Yeah, you usually weren't in his punishment list since you had the looks and skills" Nino rolled his eyes. Due to Adrien's popularity and exceptional athletic skills, Marshal Alexandrov didn't dare touch a single head on his body _or face the wrath of all females in the shatterdome along with some males._

"Oh my god, is that you Alya? Nino? Adrien?" a tomboyish yet feminine voice shouted over the noise of the cafeteria. The three had arrived to their destination and had grabbed their food; and was looking for a table now.

"Alix?" Alya gaped but nevertheless heading towards the pink haired girl. She was probably the first one who actually _looked_ the same as her 15 year old self ( _other than Alya herself- and in all honesty, she probably pass off as a 17 year old if she tried_ ). She still had the signature ponytail look, and she wore a LOCCENT Mission Control uniform; but had styled it up to her own tastes.

"Holy shit, it is you three!" Alix grinned widely as she hugged the girl. "Man, how long has it been?" she gaped giving the guys a shoulder bump.

"Way too long! I wouldn't have thought you would stay in Paris. We thought for sure that you left Paris to travel around the world" Nino grinned as Adrien nodded, starting to eat.

"Nah, decided to stay here- Paris is nice although there's not much to do now-a-days. Keeps me happy here though" she shrugged, Adrien nodding understandingly as he took a sip of water. "It's good to see you too Adrien" she added.

"You seem the same as always. It's also great to see you again Alix" Adrien politely smiled, taking another sip.

"And you're still polite as ever Adrien. Tell me, how many girls have you gone out with?" at the sight of him sputtering and accidently spitting out some of his water, she raised a brow. "Or rejected in this case? Still a cherry boy?" at his heavy blush and gaping look, Nino's full out laugher- and even Alya was gaping in shock, Alix laughed. "I'm joking" she waved her hand.

"Wow, you changed" Alya could only comment, bewildered at her open attitude- well it wasn't as if Alya thought that this girl wasn't able to make jokes like that- but it had been 4 years, and the sudden change of personality took a bit of time for her to adapt to.

"I hope it's a good thing" she winked as she stuffed mashed potatoes in her mouth.

"It is! It's good to see familiar faces" Nino agreed.

"Yeah! Have you seen Nathanaël? Now _he's_ the changed one! Didn't think a cute guy was behind that long fringe of his" she smirked. "I saw him briefly and he told me about you three! Man, I was so excited to see you guys again" she laughed gaily as Alya couldn't help but smile widely at her. Her happy and casual attitude was rubbing off onto her.

"Speaking about people who've changed, Marinette seems a bit different" Adrien was the first to approach the topic, Alix nodding, swirling the peas on her plate around.

"Lot's of things happened with you three gone, it would be even more surprising if she hadn't changed after the things she went through"

"What things?" Alya immediately asked as Alix blinked at her confusingly.

"She hadn't kept in touch with you guys?" she also seemed confused as Nino shook his head.

"That's a surprise? She told me that she kept in touch with you guys" Alix furrowed her brows. "She lied I suppose- that's a surprise" Alya was floored- Marinette had lied? "Well I don't blame her. You guys were in the elite, front-line. You guys already had a lot on your shoulders, no point burdening you more" Alix nodded as she pushed her tray away- finished with her food.

"What happened to her though? For her to change that much" Adrien asked.

"Even I haven't gotten the full details since it was covered up quite a lot. No one knows the full truth so you got to ask her yourself" Alix replied wryly. "Well, we better get a move on- we have 15 minutes before we're supposed to meet in the control room." She changed the topic.

"You work there?" Alya asked surprised, as she nodded.

"I'm pretty good with computer and stuff so I was moved there. Used to be a technician along with Nathanaël" she grinned. They just nodded as they quickly finished off their food.

"Who's our supervisor?" Nino asked through his mouthful of food. Alya crinkled her nose in disgust at her friend's behavior- but was used to it by now.

"Oh, you haven't met her yet?" Alix's eyes sparkled with mischief, putting them on edge. "Oh you're going to _love_ this" she cackled.

"So you're not going to tell us" Alya asked, eyebrow raised, as she nodded affirming.

"It's more fun this way" she laughed as they got up, putting away their trays.

"Any hints Alix?" Adrien asked.

"Hmm, well you know her" Alix shrugged as they made their way to the control room.

"We do? Is it one of our old classmates?" Adrien asked surprised as she shrugged, keeping her mouth shut.

"Wow, look at that. Seems like some of us are really well off- promoted to being a supervisor?" Nino whistled in awe.

"It's not much of a compliment if you compare it with your achievements" Alix smirked. "Jaegar pilots? And confirmed of 5 kills in 4 years with 1 category 1 kill, 2 Category II kill and 2 Category III kills? That's an accomplishment" Alix retorted back. "Jaegar pilots are rare now-a-days, other than you guys- there is just one more Jaegar pilot pair here"

"There's only one more pair?" Alya repeated, albeit worried. Having only two Jaegar pilot pairs was a bit dangerous as 3 were always the minimum amount of Jaegars that should be deployed. Alix nodded,

"Don't tell me you don't know them either?"

"We just transferred to this base suddenly- we are lacking quite a lot of information" Nino explained.

"Well, you'll find out then" she nodded as they arrived at a pair of steel doors. She punched in a code as they slid open, reveling the bustling of the workers who worked in the room.

"You guys sure took your time!" a feminine voice stated- her laugh and gentle smile contradicting her harsh words as they turned around- jaw dropping at the sight of a petite woman with blonde hair, a bandana tied to her head, pushing her hair to the back, bright colours decorating her hair and uniform as they stared at their old classmate.

"Myléne Hapréle?!" the three in unison gaped, eliciting more laughter. "I can't believe this- look at you!" Alya squealed as Myléne gave her a quick hug. She was still a petite woman, standing at least a head shorter than Alya- but she did slim down slightly.

" _You're_ a Jaegar Pilot?" Nino couldn't help but ask, shock-ridden. Myléne; the girl who was scared of _fake_ monster costumes was _actually_ fighting _real_ monsters?

"I know right?" she asked with a small smirk, understanding why he was shocked.

"Wait, who's your partner then?" Adrien asked.

"Me." A voice spoke from behind them as they turned, spotting a tall buff man with the familiar black hair and blonde streak.

"Ivan?! You two are still together? Wow" Nino gaped.

"Don't be rude" Alya quickly jabbed him.

"No worries Alya. It's great to see all you doing great" Ivan smiled gently as he stood by the petite woman's side.

"Well I hope they'll stay together- or else that marriage was for nothing" Alix commented, as the three whipped their heads at her then back to the pair again- once again rendered shocked.

"No way!" Alya squeaked- happiness filling her as she felt like she was a teen again, squealing over the prospect of marriage. Myléne nodded with a large smile as she showed off her ring. It wasn't a huge diamond (it would get in the way of her armor, plus it wasn't Myléne's style anyways) but it was a decent size and it was absolutely _gorgeous._

"Congrats man!" Adrien and Nino congratulated Ivan while Alya went to Myléne to gush.

"Well I'm surprised you two married at this age" Adrien commented, but smiled at his friends.

"Well you know- with our profession, we didn't know whether we would have a tomorrow so we decided that it was better to do it now and be with each other longer" Myléne explained smiling in contradiction to her ominous words.

"Well, congrats to you both anyways. We're really happy for you guys" Adrien spoke for them as Alya and Nino nodded in agreement.

"Ah, you guys are here" Marinette appeared, another clipboard in her hands as the three went quiet, observing her.

"Ah, Marinette! I have a quick question regarding the test run" Myléne went to the girl as the two discussed the latest change in her program, leaving everyone to watch them.

"How's Russia?" Ivan asked, as he glanced at the rest of them. He towered over even Adrien who was surprised as he was quite tall already.

"Ah, it's great- cold but that's expected" he replied, his attention still on the dark haired girl.

"Is _she_ here yet?" Marinette turned, scanning the room for a person as Myléne, Ivan and Alix shook their heads.

"Who's she?" Nino questioned.

"Finally you guys are here. Took you guys a damn long time, keeping me waiting" an obnoxious voice spoke up- as the three were once again frozen on the spot, stunned. At this rate, they would all probably have an increase risk of heart attacks with the amount of shocks they were having in a day.

 _Click, click._ The sound of heels clacking against the floor and stopping in front of them as they slowly turned around, horror filling their faces, as the sight of a blonde woman greeted their sights.

"Arms up people, I'm your boss now" Chloé Bourgeois smirked, a hand on her hip.

* * *

"You've _got_ to be _fucking_ kidding me" the curse slipping out of her lips before Alya knew it, hell she haven't even adjusted to the fact that she was talking rudely to her _superior_ as she could've lost a few limbs and that would be a lesser of a shock than having Chloé as her supervisor. Chloé simply rolled her eyes, not fazed by the lack of respect she was receiving.

"Chloé?" Adrien's eyes were bugged out- it almost looked comical if not for the fact that they were in front of spectators who were also flabbergasted at the tone the new recruits were having with their supervisor.

"Marinette! Why didn't you tell us?" Nino gaped at the girl who had simply smiled secretively (Alya feeling better seeing her friend slightly acting like her old self)

"It's more fun like this" she replied lightly giving a small laugh.

"I can't believe this, Chloé; as in the _bully_ from middle and high school being our supervisor?" Nino repeated.

"Careful with your attitude, remember _I_ am your supervisor now" Chloé once again rolled her eyes as Nino blanched.

"So… uh Ms. Bourgeois…" Alya started- confused to how she should address her former classmate.

"It's Marshal to you" she smirked back, flooring them once again.

"Marshal?!" Nino yelped.

"Volume Nino" Marinette scolded lightly.

"That's right. I'm a Marshal now" Chloé folded her arms as if daring him to say anymore of her rank.

"I thought Chloé was uh… you know" Alya stepped back, whispering to her friend- forgetting that she wasn't as close as to you as before.

"She never passed away- she was just ill, _very_ ill in the hospital. She got better a few months after your…. _Departure_ " Marinette whispered back hesitantly.

"Surprisingly she makes a good Marshal despite what you think" Alix walked closer whispering as well, Alya turning to her. If someone told her that Chloé was going to handle and be responsible for thousands of lives, and was _good_ at it, Alya would've sent them to the psych ward. It didn't make any sense.

"You see, Chloé is quite protective of her _own_ property, therefore by allowing her to take charge, essentially Paris and everyone who works for her is ideally 'her property', therefore she actually _cares_ more about everyone." Alix explained. "She's actually one of the best strategist we have, since she actually constructs a sound plan that involves with the least injuries and consequences sine she doesn't want her 'property' damaged." Alix smirked, giving a small laugh.

Alya could see that- she remembered the bracelet incident in school years ago, Chloé taking good care of the fancy bracelet (even though she lost it and there was a huge argument about it but Alya had a feeling that it wasn't her fault).

Alya could understand- knowing Chloé and her impatience, she _would_ find the quickest way to solve a problem with the least damages. "Although it does pain me to be _under_ her, she's not as bad as other supervisors" Alix added rolling her eyes, Alya and Marinette nodding in agreement.

* * *

"Oh wow" Alya gaped in awe, Adrian whistling behind her in appreciation as they stared at their Jaeger- it was pitch black with spots of red and stood at a towering 36 feet.

"It's around the same size of an average as a regular Jaeger, but slightly shorter by a few feet" Marinette explained.

"And the name?" Adrian asked quietly.

"Her name is Crimson Hawk- a Mark IV Jaeger. It's not as advanced as the Mark V Jaegar Strike Eureka- but our Shatterdome is quite small so we couldn't afford to build that" she replied.

"It's better than Mark III at least" Adrian stated optimistically, thankful that they didn't need to use the Jaeger with nuclear cores.

 _It's peaceful_ Alya thought as she leaned on the railings, overlooking the iconic Eiffel Tower quietly, the noise of people bustling around calming her. "What are you doing here?" Alya's eyebrow twitched- remaining calm as she sighed.

"Trying to enjoy the peace and silence until you arrived" she sarcastically replied- Nino smirking at her. "Shouldn't you be in the Control Room?"

"I went to take a break- if I had to listen to Chloé's demand one more time, I'm going to break something" he rolled his eyes as she snorted, but nevertheless moving to the side to make room for him as he leaned on the railing with his elbows, his head facing the sky.

"Too bad, thank goodness I'm a Jaeger Pilot. I don't need to see her upfront" she snickered.

"But you do still need to follow her orders" he grinned as she scowled as they lapsed into a comfortable silence

"I wish we can stay like this" Alya softly sighed as Nino repressed the blush from appearing on his face as he knew that she wasn't talking about him and her- but rather just in general.

"Yeah" he agreed, watching her silently and marveling how pretty she looked. She always was pretty- but with the small smile playing on her lips, the soft expression on her face while she watched the rest of Paris with the wind blowing her hair- she was outstanding.

"The wind is picking up… I hope there's not a storm" she said out loud watching the oncoming dark clouds.

"I didn't see any storm on the weather forecast, and I just checked this morning" Nino furrowed his brows- his voice and words an ill omen.

"…No" Alya whispered- fear lacing her words as they watched the dark grey clouds swirl closer to Paris-

 _WEEE-WOOO-WEEEE-WOOOOO_ The warning siren went off loudly, deafening them as Alya paled. With a curse, the two ran into the building and down the corridor, shouting at people to move out of their way as they raced to the LOCCENT.

"Nino! Where did you go?! Dammit" Chloé swore loudly as they barged into the control room, people bustling around faster than Alya had seen.

"What is going on?" Adrien burst into the room.

"This is bad Chloé!" Marinette appeared as she avoided bumping into people who were racing around in the room.

"What now Marinette?" she snapped. "We know what you're about to say-"

"No you don't" What made Chloé's mouth snap shut and everyone's attention turned to her was the fact that Marinette's voice was small and had _fear_ in it. "It's a Category IV Kaiju" although the noise in the control room was deafening, Alya felt like she could only hear white noise as she processed her words.

"It's a Category IV Kaiju" she repeated- Alya felt the floor getting pulled from under her as she swayed slightly, Nino quickly steadying her.

"It's a Category IV Kaiju, and it's heading straight to Paris"

* * *

 _A/N: Well dear me- I had this chapter written for quite a while but I never had the heart to publish this since I didn't feel like it was deserving of it since it just felt...boring. I most likely will go back to this story when I'm done to revamp everything._

 _The next chapter will be the last so it's going to wrap up everything that happened! Thank you for all the encouragement and support!_


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